Senator proposes Medicaid expansion

Though the proposal appears likely to have little chance of passing the Legislature, a South Florida Democrat on Tuesday filed a bill that would expand Medicaid eligibility.

Sen. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, filed the measure (SB 126) for consideration during the legislative session that will begin in March.

The Affordable Care Act allows states to expand eligibility to adults whose incomes are up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. But the Republican-dominated Florida House has refused to go along with past proposals to expand coverage.

For a single person, 138 percent of the federal poverty level equates to income of $16,753 this year. For a family of four, it equates to income of $34,638.